Over the past few months, I’ve had a chance to interact with some of the brighest minds of the airline industry as well as key brand leaders. Though these were all individual interviews, there was a common question in all of them – “What’re your thoughts about airlines and branding in 2009″.

I’ve now compiled them in the video below and you can hear the expert views of Lisa Markovic – VP of Sales & Marketing at Jet Airways, Joe Crump – VP of Strategic Planning at Razorfish, Rodney Abbot and Randall Stone – Senior Partners at Lippincott.

Their predictions?

Fewer airlines at the end of 2009

Lisa  of Jet Airways feels that this is probably the most difficult of recessions for the airline industry. She believes that the year ahead will see a number of consolidations in the industry, and generally the larger airlines will emerge as dominant players globally.

Focus on customer service and the brand

Rodney from Lippincott believes that the fewer airlines that survive will have to focus on the brand experience, because customers will be extremely picky about choosing a carrier that provides the best value. This way, not only will they retain existing customers, but also attract others disgruntled with the competition.

Mobility – in-flight wifi will be a hidden opportunity

Joe from Razorfish is looking forward to surfing the internet on-board airlines and is curious to see what opportunities arise from this developement. Moreover, he believes that “transactions” and “advertisements” will become much more seamless than they are right now.

Without any further revelations, I’ll let you enjoy the video yourself! I have to admit that two of these interviews have not been released on the site yet, so here’s a sneak preview for you!

Lisa sums her love for the airline industry the best, “it’s the dynamics, never a dull moment, always new challenges and I clearly don’t see any of that changing in the future.” That’s the reason I’m in love with the industry as well! Always keeps you on your feet, isn’t it? What’re your thoughts on where the industry is headed in 2009, and what role branding has to play?

• Lippincott Senior Partners, on airline branding
• Jet Airways’ VP of Sales & Marketing shares what it takes to build a strong airline brand in the US
• Airline brands need to emerge from the “jurassic era” – Joe Crump
• Can Jet Airways survive the recession (and what does the Kingfisher alliance mean)?
• The essence of SimpliFlying: aviation, branding, travel, airlines and social media (Plus: What’s new in 2010)